Silent Snow: Tales from Ancient Ieda 01

by Sarah Thomie

  “Grandmother of Slaver Clan threw a knife after she gave me their ledger.”

  “As much as I hate to say it, I am glad Doe was there to help you.”

  “How is she doing?” The Matriarch came into the bathhouse and stared at the wound. “Oh Goddess.”

  “It does not feel as bad as it looks.”

  “That is because you are feeling emotional pain, and that tends to override your physical pain,” Raven told me. “I have seen you do this before, especially when riding some sort of emotional problem.”

  “Doe told us everything that happened on her side. She was partnered with the warrior from that other Clan, but he was killed after a raid of Slaver warriors hit their village. From then on, she was forced to be with one of the Slaver warriors, as were the other women. Their Elder was killed after the warriors attempted to enslave that other Wood Elf village. She was sold with the other women of her Clan to the village where you found her. She was surprised that Howling Wolf had a Second.”

  “That is all I am, Matriarch. He still loves her, so there is no point in fighting it.”

  “Not so fast, Snow.” The Matriarch looked down at me. “Are you really going to give up on him that easily?”

  “I told him years ago that I would step aside if he wanted another woman. He and I are not official, and now that Doe is back in the picture, there is no denying it.” I tried to sound nonchalant, but she knew better.

  “If you wanted someone new, you could have broken it off. You do not need to come up with this narrative to do it,” she said plainly.

  “You did not see his face or his eyes!” I yelled at her, giving an outlet to my anger. “You did not see the rage on his face when he learned her partner was dead! You did see the warring emotions of him still loving her, then looking at me and seeing regret! You did not see the hope on his face when he talked to the Kitten! You. Were. Not. There. Matriarch!” My voice echoed in the bathhouse.

  “I may not have been, but I have seen you two enough that I know better.” She bent down to my level. “When he gets here, we will see what happens. If he chooses her, I will do a Test of Taking against him. If he truly wants her, then I will tell your Elder that you belong to my settlement as my Enforcer, so it will not be thrown in your face every day. But if he chooses you… Do you want to spend the rest of your life with your Forest God of an Enforcer?”

  I pushed myself up. “He will not choose me. Not when it is between her and I.” I wobbled a little but used my stubbornness to keep upright. “I am going to lie down. In two days, whether he is here or not, I am going to your human ally’s home and will request that they take me to a slave auction in the Capital City. I will stop the slavery at the source, while the Clans continue to follow the original plan,” I told them, then escaped to find my way to a tree at the edge of the village.

  “Snow?” a familiar male voice spoke.

  “Not in the mood, First Son,” I said without looking back at him.

  “I just wanted to say that I am worried, too,” he told me, then he helped me into the tree, climbing up after me. “He should have been here by now, and it is not like him to be late like this, especially because of how important it is to stick together.”

  “I chose to leave, because I saw the look he had when he found out that Doe had a son that we rescued.” I sighed. “After I saw the look of hope in his eyes, I decided to go on my own to the other Slaver Clan’s village. I needed to burn off rage, so I went there and slaughtered them. We were supposed to stay together, but I gave him the son to watch, so I would not have to see him pining over her.”

  “It will be all right, Snow. If he has been captured, we will get him back. If he shows up here, I will let you throw him into the dirt for making us worry.” He tried to cheer me up, and it helped. “Are you planning on being here for the night?”

  “Yes, I just need some time to myself for a bit.”

  “I will bring you food after it is made. The other Clans arrived a couple of days ago, so Xerinae has been cooking up a storm.”

  “How were the males you and Ursus brought back?”

  “They will live, but I doubt they will be well enough to fight, so we are going to leave them here to help protect the settlement.”

  “Good night, First Son.” I leaned back against the trunk of the tree.

  “Good night, Snow,” he replied and climbed down.

  I yawned and let the healing sleep take over me.

  Chapter 23

  “Howling Wolf still is not here.” Sparrow sounded beyond concerned the night I woke up from my healing sleep, my shoulder no longer in pain.

  “Well, tomorrow, we start liberating Elves, so if he was captured, we will find him.” First Son held her hand.

  Xerinae plopped some food down in front of them, while I helped her disperse some to the rest of the gathered Clans. She passed by me. “Are you doing all right, Snow?”

  I shrugged, as I set food down in front of Ursus and Cristata. None of them questioned why I chose not to speak, giving into the silence I spent most of my life in.

  Once everyone had their food, the Matriarch stood in front of the hundreds of gathered Wood Elves and her City Elves.

  “I would like to thank everyone for being here. Words cannot explain how grateful I am that you all decided to help our plight. With the addition of Wood Elves being taken, this is no longer a liberation of City Elves. Instead, our goal is to get all our brethren out from the disgusting practice of slavery. Tonight, we gather our strength and tomorrow, Silent Snow and others from the Moon Clan will lead our warriors to release the Elven slaves.”

  “With each place they pass, warriors will escort our brothers and sisters here. Then, Silent Snow and a smaller group of warriors will head to the Capital City to get those trapped there. We have a human ally family who has agreed to help us, in exchange for letting their family live. After talking with the Elders, if this family does as requested, we have decided that they will become our human liaisons, meaning they would fall under the protection of our alliance.” She grabbed me. “Silent Snow will be playing the part of a myth that every City Elf knows. If any City Elf is terrified of you, tell them that you are with the Reckoning. They will understand that you are there to save them.”

  “Why would that help?” someone from the Water Clan asked.

  “Pain and fear are very good ways to keep someone compliant. Many of you have seen Silent Snow’s scars. Every City Elf has some, though not as bad.” She pointed to Ursus. “Ursus of the Star Clan asked to feel why City Elves would not fight. Ursus, tell them what you felt, and if you would keep trying to fight after that.”

  Ursus shuddered before he stood up. “The Matriarch told me that it was the most painful thing I would ever feel, and she was correct. I was only lashed three times, but the pain exploded like fire over my body. I have had broken bones, been stabbed, slashed, almost killed, and nothing compared to the pain I felt from the lashing. Even I would never try to fight if that was a guarantee every time I rebelled.” He looked to me and added, “The fact that Snow is covered in those scars is a testament of her inner strength. Do not believe that all City Elves or even our newly captured brethren would be willing to take those punishments if they have the choice.”

  “By using our mythical protector’s name, you are more likely to get the City Elves to assist you instead of being fearful of you. We have been told for our entire captivity that Wood Elves would not only be worse than the humans, but they were also more likely to kill us. We need them to trust you for this to work.”

  “What is the myth that she is playing?” another Wood Elf asked her.

  “How many of you know why Silent Snow is going to be leading this task?” she asked the Wood Elves.

  Only those from the Moon Clan, the Star Clan, and Bunny raised their hands.

  “Grandfather, may I request your assistance to show them her memory?”

  “Only if Bunny is all right with it,” I told her, looking a
t the younger woman.

  She gave me a nod, a new strength of fire glinting in her soul. I held my hand out to Grandfather, so he could use my blood for his smoke memory magic. He took his blood and tossed it into the fire. I thought of when I killed Viper and focused on hearing the Matriarch’s voice. I watched their faces as they saw me eviscerate Viper, while hearing the Matriarch’s lyrical voice about the Reckoning. I would have been lying if I did not take pleasure in seeing Doe’s distressed face. Seeing me kill someone was bad but seeing it from my point of view was worse.

  “That is the part she is playing and why.”

  “I am glad we never took her on in battle.”

  “Thank the Goddess Above that we are on the same side.”

  “Can you imagine if the humans used her for their slave trade against us?”

  “She could lead the charge, and I would gladly follow her into battle.”

  An older male chuckled. “Can you imagine being her partner, and she getting angry at you? Nowhere would be safe.”

  A small smile played on my lips at that comment.

  “That is why we are using her as our myth. If you saw her kill and heard that she was the Goddess’s protector, would you want to believe it is true?” The Matriarch smiled, before turning to me. “Thank you for showing them, Silent Snow.”

  “At your service, Matriarch.” I gave her a quick bow, then sat next to First Son, Sparrow, Xerinae, Raven, and Lynx, leaving a spot next to Lynx for the Matriarch when she was done grandstanding.

  She gave them all another thank you, promising that the warriors would leave at dawn. She sat down next to me. “We will get your Howling Wolf back, Snow.” She patted me on the arm.

  “I already told you that he is not mine,” I told her before biting into my food.

  “You do not really believe that.” She sounded more concerned than shocked.

  “Matriarch, we both know that I could never give him the love that Wood Elves want from their partners. Add in that compared to her, I am nothing beyond my ability able to fight and kill. If he was captured, I will find him and bring him home to her as she is his one true love. Now, I am asking as a friend for you to leave it alone.”

  “I have one last thing to say before I drop it. I swear to the Goddess Above and Her Dark Consort that if you do anything beyond your normal brand of stupidity because of these emotions, I will make sure that you regret it. Do you understand, Enforcer?”

  “Yes, Matriarch.” I sighed and then I continued to eat. I just wanted to go back to the tree already.

  “Good.” She turned to Sparrow and Raven and started to discuss what the warriors would need for healing supplies.

  I finished eating, bid them a good night and went toward the tree I had been sleeping in.

  “Silent Snow?” I winced as Grandfather called me over to where he, the other Grandfathers and Mothers, and Elders were eating.

  “Yes, Grandfather?”

  “Something is wrong, Grandchild?”

  I knew better than to lie, but I also did not feel comfortable telling all of them about my heart problems. I signed about everything I saw and heard about Doe from Howling Wolf, and how I knew they still loved each other.

  “You truly believe that he would choose her?” the Elder asked.

  I nodded.

  “Will you be well for tomorrow?”

  I nodded again.

  “I will do my job as the Enforcer, Honorable Elder. I will bring home as many of our warriors as I can, since the alliance falls under my purview, therefore under my protection.”

  “Thank you for speaking with me. Have a good night, Enforcer.”

  I bowed to the table. “Good night, Honorable Elders, Grandfathers, Grandmothers.” I went to the tree and climbed up it easily. When I looked to where the Clans were talking, laughing, and preparing. Doe talked with the other women of her old and new Clans. Despite the worry she felt for her son, her face lit up like the brilliance of the sun. I turned away from them all and let myself fall asleep.

  Chapter 24

  Dawn came too early, but I was already awake. I cleaned myself in the bathhouse, pulling my hair back into a long braid, having neglected cutting it. I sharpened my daggers and put them into my embroidered sheaths. I felt more like the Reckoning as I put in my thick leathers over my black linen clothes.

  Sparrow came into the bathhouse. “Snow?”

  “Yes?”

  She came running up and hugged me. “Promise me that you will stay safe and that you will bring them home.”

  “I promise.” I hugged her back.

  She whispered, “And if my idiot brother decides that he wants the bitch that left him, then I will beat him black and blue.”

  I laughed at that. “I will hold him for you. You stay safe here. We do not know how the humans are going to react to our attacks, so keep alert. It is one of the reasons why we are sending warriors back with the slaves, because there is no idea if they will attack this settlement with each success.”

  “I will, and you will always be my sister, Snow, even if my brother is too stupid to see how much better you are for him.”

  “All I ever wanted was freedom and a family. You and Howling Wolf gave me both. I will pay that kindness back.” I gave her another quick hug when I heard the whistle calling the warriors. Then I ran outside to stand next to First Son. “Everyone ready?”

  He looked back. “Ready as we ever will be.”

  The Matriarch handed both of us a map. “These are where the ledgers say the slaves have been sold to. I marked our human ally family as well. See them before you storm the Capital City, because they should be able to help you get in without being noticed.” She hugged me. “Bring them home, Enforcer.”

  “I will, Matriarch. Keep everyone safe here, or there will be no home to return to. And if any human decides that now is a good time to attack, I believe the City Elves here will be able to show them the error of their ways.”

  She looked to the rest of the gathered warriors. “Yesterday, we were different races and Clans. Today, we are one. Come home where you belong and bring back your new brothers and sisters. Let the Goddess Above guide you, and may Her Dark Consort welcome your enemies to the Underworld!”

  There was a roar of agreement behind us.

  Her eyes fluttered with justice and fire. “Show them no mercy, Reckoning.”

  Chapter 25

  We followed the maps, splitting our forces between First Son and me. We planned to meet at the human ally family’s home; the Matriarch sent word to them to expect us. We reached many of the places where the City Elves were held. Upon seeing me, many of them fought against their captors. We gave the humans a choice, surrender their slaves or perish. Many chose to give their slaves up, but many also chose to fight and die. The warriors split off as planned, getting the City Elves back to the settlement.

  Word spread throughout the kingdom of the Wood Elves coming to claim the City Elves. Some families decided that releasing their slaves before we reached them was a good plan. Others tasted my hatred as they killed my brethren before we could get to them. Blood had soaked the ground of the kingdom as we moved.

  After a year of liberating the City Elves, we reached the human ally family, with their head of the household, Roland. First Son arrived the day before I did. Both of our warrior teams were down to a few. They gave their Elves up to us, happy that we were putting a stop to this barbaric practice.

  Tiny feet came running to me.

  “Snow!”

  I caught the boy in my arms and hugged him. “Kitten! Have they been taking good care of you?”

  “Yes! They kept the bad humans away from us!” He buried his face in my shoulder.

  First Son looked at me, confused.

  I pulled away. “Kitten, this is First Son. He is the son of our Elder and is Wolf’s best friend. First Son, this is Doe’s son.”

  “Nice to meet you.” First Son’s voice fell flat.

  “Come on, Kitten. I have
more friends I want you to meet, while I talk with Lord Roland and First Son.” I brought him to Ursus, and the boy cowered a little. “This is Ursus, and he is one of my friends. He carries a big axe! How strong do you think you have to be to carry one as well? And look at this!” I pointed to his muscles. “I bet you could beat him, Kitten. Think you can throw him into the dirt?”

  “Yes!” He sounded excited.

  I set him down. “Do not go easy on him, Kitten.” I kissed the top of the boy’s head, then left him to spar with Ursus. I went inside the small manor house, where Roland was sitting with First Son.

  Roland explained how the boy came to them. “He and another Wood Elf were on the auction block, but we had to make the choice, because we did not have the gold for both. We were unable to stop them from being branded, since they were branded upon capture. We decided to save the boy because he would have been raised as a pet, whereas the warrior could at least fend for himself. At least, I hope he could.”

  “You did the right thing. Can you imagine if he was used that way?” I told the older human male.

  “What is a pet?” First Son asked me.

  Roland looked uncomfortable answering, but I did not have that problem. “A pet is another name for a sex slave. At his age, he would most likely just be groomed for serving the bed, but there are those who enjoy younger flesh.”

  He paled. “What kinds of monsters do that to children?”

  “Those who do not care that they are children,” Roland answered. “Thank the Goddess that those monsters are few and far between, but even one is too many.”

  “What about the other Wood Elf?” I sipped on the tea.

  “He was purchased by the royal family for their Queen’s pleasure.”

  “May I inquire why you are trying to help us?” First Son asked.